Galactic interstellar ratio ^18^O/^17^O. I.

Among our IRAM 30m sample of 50 targets, we detected successfully both C^18^O and C^17^O 1-0 lines for 34 sources. Similarly, our sample of 260 targets for ARO 12m observations resulted in the detection of both lines for 166 sources. The C^18^O optical depth effect on our ratio results, evaluated by fitting results of C^17^O spectra with hyperfine components (assuming {tau}_C18O_=4{tau}_C17O_) and our radiative transfer and excitation model nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) model calculation for the strongest source, was found to be insignificant.

Beam dilution does not seem to be a problem either, which was supported by the fact that there is no systematic variation between the isotopic ratio and the heliocentric distance, and ratios are consistently measured from two telescopes for most of those detected sources. With this study we obtained ^18^O/^17^O isotopic ratios for a large sample of molecular clouds with different galactocentric distances. Our results, though there are still very few detections made for sources in the outer Galaxy, confirm the apparent ^18^O/^17^O gradient of ^18^O/^17^O=(0.10+/-0.03)R_GC_+(2.95+/-0.30), with a Pearson's rank correlation coefficient of R=0.69.

This is supported by the newest Galactic chemical evolution model including the impact of massive stellar rotators and novae.